Department History
Oak Hill Fire Department used to cover the area from Brodie Lane to Barton Creek,
and from Sunset Valley to Dripping Springs. As the city of Austin grew over the years,
Austin Fire Department took responsibility for much of the eastern end of that district.
The formation of Travis County ESD#3 in 1992 required that Oak Hill Fire Department serve
only Travis County locations, except when requested elsewhere as part of mutual aid.
The Oak Hill Fire Department has gone through two district name changes since it
was founded in April 1968. On August 13, 1985, Oak Hill Volunteer Fire
Department became Travis County Rural Fire Protection District #6. Later, on
October 1st of 1992, the Oak Hill Fire Department became the current Travis
County Emergency Services District #3.
The general history of the Oak Hill area, has been well documented in this
this website
, supported by the Oak Hill Association of Neighborhoods.
Department Origins
The department was founded when Loy Mackey first moved to Oak Hill, he was comforted by the fire hydrant
across the street from his house - until he discovered there was no fire
department to use it. In Sept. 1967, Mackey and two others, Kermit Burrer and
Bill Jackson, decided they wanted a fire department and started knocking on
doors for donations.
Read more.
The Yellow Trucks
The Oak Hill Fire Department spent 20 years using yellow apparatus at scenes.
This is the story behind the yellow trucks, which are being replaced with the
more traditional red fire trucks.
September 11, 2001
The weekend after the attacks on September 11th, Oak Hill members were out at
the Y at Oak Hill, collecting money for the families of firefighters and EMS
personnel who died as a result of the attacks. Everyone was so generous, and as
a result, the department collected over $35,000! The flag on Engine 2, the engine above, was
flown during the Vietnam War.
September 11, 2002
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Oak Hill personnel helped carry a
garrison flag along Congress Avenue |
Oak Hill firefighters joined in remembrance ceremonies
with other crews across the nation, synchronized to the
minute, exactly one year after the collapse of the WTC towers |
Pictures are courtesy of B.J. Wier